A kind veterinarian once said to me, as he was patching up a dog I had accidentally nicked, "Groomers work with sharp tools on moving objects. It is amazing that more accidents don't happen." He made me feel a little better, and I recognized that he was correct: grooming wiggly pets with tools that cut is an invitation to accidents. Following, you will find seven safety tips that I have learned the hard way:
- Don't leave your scissors on the table. Scissors are expensive to buy and to have sharpened or repaired. Leaving them on the table practically invites them to be dropped, pushed, or kicked to the floor. But worse, a dog stepping on the scissors can slice their paw pad. If you have ever experienced a dog with an injury to its paw pad, you know they bleed a lot and take a long time to heal because the dog disturbs the injury with every step they make.
- Avoid using blades with widely spaced teeth, such as #7 and most skip-toothed blades, on places where skin folds can accidentally get between the teeth. Examples of this include ears, around the lips and eyes, the tuck up, around genitals and nipples. The spacing of teeth can easily cause nicks in the skin and are best used on a dog's "flat" areas. So, if you clip a dog all over with a #7, use a #10 or 8 1/2 blade on the above spots to avoid injuries.
- Make a note of any lumps, bumps, or growths on each pet as you dry them. The motion of the airflow will expose these trouble spots, and hopefully, you will be able to carefully avoid them as you brush, clip, and trim the pet. Some of these growths bleed from the motion of water in the bath or air from the dryer, so this is always tricky. Pro Tip: If one does become irritated and begins to bleed, a little dab of Hydrogen Peroxide will remove the blood from the fur.
- When trimming ears with a clipper and scissors, always use the proper blade (see #2) and work from the center of the ear towards the edges. Be careful of the little fold of skin near the bottom outside edge of the ears on many dogs. It is called "Henry's Pocket" and is incredibly easy to cut. When you use scissors on the edges, trim so your scissor tips point toward the tip of the ear.
- Use mild, "tearless" shampoo on faces. Grooming products in the eyes can cause painful corneal ulcers requiring veterinary treatment. Even mild shampoo may cause problems, so if you think it got in the eyes, follow the manufacturer's directions to rinse the eye. If the dog's eye looks red and it tries to rub it, seek veterinary care immediately.
- Avoid brush burn, which is an irritation to the skin caused by repetitively brushing over one area (especially on the area where bone protrudes, like the breast bone or hips. Keep a sharp eye on the skin as you work to make sure no irritation is occurring.
- Avoid clipper "burn." This unfortunately-named problem is rarely an actual burn. It is commonly caused by clipping an area with too close of a blade, clipping dirty hair, or using a dull blade that pulls the hair as it clips. Clipping clean, well-prepped pets with sharp blades that are the appropriate length is the best way to prevent clipper irritation.
I can't imagine any groomer who does not feel terrible if an injury occurs while working on a pet. Following the above seven steps will help avoid some of the more common pet grooming accidents.
